Waiting for the asphalt fairy

AUSTIN — When GOP Gov. Rick Perry was pushing the much-maligned Trans-Texas Corridor, he liked to say there was no “asphalt fairy” to build roads without money.

Now that the corridor idea has withered, Perry hasn't disclosed a new plan for an increasingly congested system predicted to run out of highway fund money for new projects in 2012.

Instead, Perry is slamming Democratic challenger Bill White for refusing to rule out a gasoline-tax increase among options to pay for transportation needs.

Some Republicans and Democrats have said an increase should be considered, although it's considered politically risky and a hike hasn't been approved since 1991. White, in an interview with the Associated Press, didn't propose a tax increase but said he'd work with legislative leaders on a long-range transportation plan.

“Nobody's in favor of raising taxes,” said White spokeswoman Katy Bacon, but White didn't rule out an increase because “He's not a dictator.” Bacon said White also wants to overhaul the Texas Department of Transportation and find savings.

Perry was quick to issue a statement saying, “Bill White's call for tax increases is the last thing working families of Texas need in these challenging economic times.” Perry's idea? Government must “prioritize.”

Perry spokesman Mark Miner didn't offer much more detail, saying, “The governor's proposals have always included free roads, rail as well as toll roads.” He said Perry continues to support public-private partnerships, and that he wants Texas to get a bigger share of federal highway money.

Both Perry and White want to end diversions of highway-fund money to purposes other than roads. Diversions total $1.15 billion this budget period. Most goes to the Texas Department of Public Safety and presumably would need to be replaced with general revenue as the state already faces an estimated $18 billion budget shortfall.

Non-tax options are limited. Texas increasingly has turned to borrowing, but several lawmakers have said that's not sustainable. Lawmakers who last year decided not to extend TxDOT's authority to enter into agreements with private companies to develop and operate toll roads could look at the issue again next year.

And then there's always the asphalt fairy.

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Your tax dollars at work: According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, there were 11,766 offenders who claim foreign citizenship in the system as of July 31. The federal government contributed $17.9 million toward the $171 million annual cost of keeping them locked up. Check out Texas Politics for more details.

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Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland, memorably told the AP that its report that he got reimbursements from the state for legislative-related expenses paid by his campaign “pretty well screws my week.” But the incident made the day of the House Democratic Campaign Committee, dedicated to regaining Democratic control of the Texas House, where Republicans now have a 77-73 majority. The group's ginning up interest in an Austin fund-raiser this week in an e-mail citing Driver's troubles and those of Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, an Irving Republican dinged by reports that she drove a Mercedes owned by a company doing business with the state (she later said she no longer was driving the car).

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It's week 11 of waiting for Perry to agree to a debate since White released his tax returns for his years as Houston mayor. Perry says he won't debate unless White also releases returns from his time as deputy energy secretary under Clinton and as Democratic Party chairman.